My 1000th post!!! 2009 Busi CHIANTI RUFINA (Tuscany, Italy)

I love Chianti Rufina.  It's a region northeast of both the Chianti Classico region and indeed west of Firenze.  It tends to be a little leaner, lighter in body, and crisper than Chiantis from the Classico region, and this one is true to its type.  They can be extraordinarily food-friendly wines.

Bright color of spectrally-pure ruby.  Fairly animated nose of crisp cherries and cherry liqueur, along with the prototypical Chianti minerally earthiness I refer to as "schisty gravel."  Crisp, aggressive, high-toned flavors of stony minerals and cherries that linger, gradually (and this is unusual) molting from more minerally into more pure cherry as the finish goes on.  Usually, it's the other way around with most wines.  Nice crisp but unobtrusive acids, and some very fine-grained but puckery tannin comprise the physical characteristics.  A very notable value at $9.99.  Got this at The Italian Store on Lee Highway in Arlington.  Imported by Kysela Pere et Fils.  B+.

2009 Domaine des Roy TOURAINE Blanc "Les Silex" Loire Valley, France)

Although it doesn't say, this is certainly a Sauvignon Blanc.  And a really good one.  Better than most Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume out there, and cheaper too.

The first night it was funkily earthy, but on the second night it really blossomed.  Light gold with silver and  brassy glints.  Piercing and intense nose of green apple and lemon/lime fruit, with distinct notes of chicken broth shot-through with crushed limestone.  Big, mouthwatering, crisp flavors aggressively coat the palate, with loads of lemon-drenched green apple and a brothy minerality.  Long, clean, interesting finish with great persistence and vibrant acids.  Would be fantastic with shellfish.  Drink over the next 2 years and enjoy.  A-.  Imported by Thomas Calder Selections, this was $14.99 at Arrowine in Arlington.

2010 Domaine de Dionysos CAIRANNE Cotes du Rhone Villages "La Cigalette"(Southern France)

Intensely earthy and closed on day 1, it really blossomed on day 2.  Almost like two different wines.  It's a really flavorful but civilized Rhone blend of 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 10 % Mourvedre, and 5% Carignane.

Incredibly vibrant -- almost vibrating! -- magenta-tinged deep ruby.  Intensely stony, lively nose.  Crunchy plums and red berries, shot through with rock dust and a barely perceptible rosemary/pine resin note in the back.  Incredibly pure-tasting.  Dry, but with ripe cherry liqueur flavors, minus the alcohol and sweetness, and again with the rock dust.  Loads of fine-grained tannin, good acids, and a very lengthy, stony, pure finish.  A very nice wine.  But if you're drinking it over the next 18 months, be sure to let it breathe or pour it through a Vinturi.  A-.  Imported by Serge Dore Selections.  Was $12.99 from WTSO.com, making it an excellent buy.

Osél RUCHÈ di Castagnole Monferrato (Piemonte, Italy)

Yet another Ruchè!  I hadn't seen one in decades and now in a period of two months I see two different ones in Arlington. Go figure.  This one has lots of flavor, but is in a very modern, fruity style.  It's good, but I like the character of the more traditional style better. 


It's got a very bright ruby color.  Loads of red and black fruits (mostly plums and dark cherry) in the nose, with a very subtle stony note.  Mouthfilling fruit, but in a very soft and open style.  Texturally it's like a new-styled Beaujolais/Cotes du Rhone cross.  It seems like it would take a slight chill nicely and serve as a great hot weather cook-out red.  But drink it before 2012 is up.  B-.  Imported by Siema Wines of Springfield, VA, it was $9 at Whole Foods in Clarendon.

2010 Roger et Didier Raimbault SANCERRE "Les Belles Cotes" (Loire, France)

A good, balanced, fresh and typical Sauvignon Blanc from this region.  Good value.

 Very pale silvery-gold color.  Lively nose of green apple and lemon/lime fruit, with a little grassy herbaceousness, and significant notes of chicken broth and rain-soaked limestone.  Fresh, zingy, brothy and green apply in the mouth, with modest concentration.  Good acids keep it very fresh, and a clean, mouthwatering, if a little short, finish.  It's not super distinguished, but it would be pretty darn hard to find a better white at this price point ($16.99).  Got it from Wines Til Sold Out.  Imported by Serge Dore Selections, NY.  B.

2010 Sobon Estate ZINFANDEL "Old Vines" (Amador County, Cal.)

I don't usually buy Zins from Amador County, because in the 1980s and 1990s I had several that were very cloying and simple -- not as vibrant, complex, and zesty as from places like Dry Creek and Paso Robles.  But I recently gave this one a shot and it is a winner!  Everything in balance, lots of flavors, and good energy.

Dark ruby with violet highlights.  Great nose of lively, tangy, rich blackberries, and loads of sandstone-y, balsa wood notes.  Mouthcoating flavors, but not the least bit heavy, showing very nice balance for a Zin.  Pretty good acicity and a wee bit of soft tannin.  Very pure flavors of ripe, spicy blackberry and black cherry fruit and loads of stony minerals.  This would go really nicely with all sorts of red sauces, meat braises, grilled meat, etc.  Which is really what I love most about Zinfandels -- their food-friendliness.  At least when they're not pushing 16% alc. (This one was a more modest -- for Zin -- 14.9%.)  A-.  Was only $12.99 at Total Wine in McLean, VA.

2009 Domaine Carpy "Les Pins" FITOU (Southwest France)

I haven't had many Fitous, but they've all been good, and good values.  Including this one.  It's an appellation that's arid, hot, stony, and right up against the Mediterranean.  A blend primarily of Grenache, Syrah, Carignane and Mourvedre (the 4 Musketeers?).

Beautiful dark ruby color.  Very nice nose of perfumed rock dust, dark minerals, and ripe black cherry and blackberries.  Very pure-tasting dark cherry-berry fruit and powdered black stones fill the mouth.  Loads of very fine-grained nano-tannins.  Medium full body and darn good acidity for a wine from this region, adding up to very nice balance and mouthfeel.  A wicked good value at $8.99.  Got it at Whole Foods in Clarendon.  Whoever picks out the wines for that store does a nice job picking out an array of nice values.  Imported by Dionysis Imports, Manassas, VA.  B+.

2008 Volpetti CESANESE LAZIO (Lazio, Central Italy)

This wine was both exciting and disappointing.  Exciting because I do not remember ever drinking a wine made from the Cesanese varietal (apparently indigenous to this area) and it had unique, very intense, somewhat spiced fruity scents and a very soft texture, along with some good concentration and good acids.  But disappointing because this particular wine had very noticeable residual sugar; so much that it made the wine a bit cloying in the mouth.  If they had fermented it dry, I think this would have been very special.  In its current, more-than-slightly-sweet form, it's a C.  I'd like to taste a fully dry one.  Was $10 at Whole Foods in Clarendon, and I saw it in The Italian Store on Lee Highway (Arlington) for a little more.  Imported by Siema Wines, Springfield, VA.

2010 DeAngelis ROSSO PICENO (Marche, Italy)

I feel about this wine the way that the right wing must feel about Romney.  The words say one thing but the reality is very watered down.  This is an Italian copy of a Beaujolais.  Not even a real Beaujolais . . . a Georges DeBoeuf industrial candy Beaujolais.

Bright ruby color with a thin sheen of micro bubbles.  Fruity nose of tangy plums and strawberry along with a cherry soda component.  Cherry and peach juice fruit in the mouth, with no tannin, a soft texture with a faint prickle of CO2, and a fruit-juicy clean finish.  More like a soft drink or fruit smoothie than a wine.  Not that it's unpleasant, but WTF?  C-.  Was under $10 at Whole Foods in Clarendon.  Imported by Potomac Selections, Landover, MD.

UPDATE:  You know what?  Now that I've slept on it, I've changed my mind.  F.  This is a travesty.  Is there technically anything wrong with it?  No.  Does it taste and smell pleasant?  Yes.  But it is so wrong for a supposed Marchegiano Montepulciano/Sangiovese blend.

2009 Col des Vents CORBIERES (Southern France)

This dirt cheap wine was very good.  Worth buying in quantity.  Focused, balanced, deep, and satisfying.  It's 50% Carignane, 35% Grenache, and 15% Syrah.

Fairly saturated black ruby.  Nose a little shy, but showing very delineated scents of black raspberry and dark cherry juice poured over freshly-cracked clean dark stones.  Soft, concentrated, and with great balance, this wine coats the mouth with rich dark cherry fruit and some very fine-grained tannin.  Loads of clean stony minerals too.  Good acids for a wine from this region (which can be brutally hot), showing not only the 2009 vintage's blessings but also someone's careful attention to when to pick. Buy this wine by the case and drink with dinners over the next year or two.  B+.  Was $7 freakin' .99 at Whole Foods in Clarendon.  Imported by value seeking importer Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA.

2009 Castillo de Maluenda "Punto y Coma" GARNACHA "Vinas Viejas" (Calatayud, Spain)

This is a macho, burly Garnacha -- a varietal that, if anything, I would typically liken to a fleshy, voluptuous woman.

Vibrant, pure-refracting dark ruby.  The first night it was very closed and showed highly extracted scents of scorched earth virtually overshadowing the raspberry fruit.  Night two it mellowed, and the fruit came more to the fore: lots of tight, crunchy crushed raspberries poured over a powdery mass of freshly-pulverized stones.  Loads of micro-tannin coat the mouth in the back half of the palate.  The finish is all stones.  Good acids too.  This wine actually needs a couple of years, during which the tannins and angularity should mellow and the fruit should move forward even more.  Very unique style of Grenache.  B+.  Was $12.99 at European Foods on Washington Blvd and Pershing in Arlington.  Imported by Monsieur Touton Selections.

2010 "Les Heretiques" Red (Herault, Southern France)

From the owners of the respected Chateau d'Oupia in the Languedoc region, this cheap blend of Carignane and Syrah is a young, zesty, and well-made weekday dinner wine.  If drunk in 2012, however, give it some air time, as the nose and flavors are quite closed at first.

Deep, dark, ruby/violet.  Not especially complex on the nose, but with enticing aromas of equal parts clean, stony minerality and ripe but tangy dark berries.  Lively, tangy berry fruit hits the palate first, then broadens out and shows a soft texture and nice ripeness.  A little tannin in the clean-as-a-whistle finish.  Just a dynamite dinner accompaniment at a bargain price.  B+.  Was $10.99 at Whole Foods between Wilson and Clarendon Blvds in Arlington.  Imported by one of my favorites, Louis/Dressner Selections (which is why I even tried such a cryptically-labeled wine in the first place).

2009 Three Vineyards MATARO "Spinelli Vineyard" (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

A wine that juxtaposes lusciousness with balance.  Really fine.  Is it the 125-yr. old vines (that's not a typo) or great winemaking?  Probably both.  Get some.

Dark black ruby with violet highlights.  Nose of perfectly ripe dark berries, along with notes of dark liquid minerals, fresh parsley and sandalwood.  Mouthfilling and mouthcoating rich fruit, primarily dark, ripe, iodine-laced blackberry extract.  Gobs of very soft tannin give great structure, and the wine has depth yet is not heavy.  Decent acids, and a long finish.  Just a joy to drink.  A.  Was $19.99 from WineAccess.com.

2009 Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois FLEURIE "Cuvee Vieilles Vignes de la Cadole" (Beaujolais, France)

Very pure smelling and tasting but lacking concentration enough even for a Beaujolais.

Bright, crystalline deep ruby color.  Light intensity nose:  cherries and clean, cracked rocks are discernable, but you have to sniff with some focus to get it.  Nice attack of pure hard cherry candy fruit and loads of stony minerals, but they're evanescent, disappearing quickly.  Some tannins remain in the mouth, and the wine has nice freshness, but the flavors bolt for the exit too fast.  Disappointing.  C+.  Imported by Neal Rosenthal, I think I got this at Houston Wine Merchant a few months ago (before I moved to Virginia).  I think it was around $25, so it was decidedly not a good value.

Wine trends I don't like #1

Argentine Malbecs are everywhere, and they seem to be taking up shelf space at the expense of Aussie reds, particularly the Aussie Grenaches, which I love.  To me, Malbecs just aren't that interesting.  Earthy and coarse by nature, the trend in Argentina seems to be to try to bypass those characteristics by harvesting them much riper and oaking the crap out of them.  Count me out.  Haven't had one I really liked in a very long time . . . was it a Tikal?  Anyway, Australia is definitely considered uncool these days.  Not sure why.  I really miss seeing those old vine Grenaches on store shelves.  Big, ripe, yet food friendly, with warm, complex aromatics.  Bring them back please.

2009 Quivira ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal)

I almost poured this wine down the drain shortly after I opened it because it was so weird initially.  I'm glad I put it away and drank it the next night, because the time helped it a lot.

Bright intense ruby color. The first day, the nose was just bizarre.  First, there was a ton of that pungent, American oak smell I associate with old school Rioja, but it was coupled with an almost cartoonishly exaggerated tangy, rhubarby/boysenberryish fruit--almost like it was concocted in a New Jersey food lab.  So I put the Vacu-Vin on it and forgot about it for a day.  The next night, it was far more normal.  The American oak smell was gone and a pure, bright, blackberryish fruit emerged.  There was good concentration in the mouth, but with nice balance.  Clingy, pure, deep fruit, a long finish, and pretty good acidity.  Almost imperceptible tannin added some frame to it.  Very nice  dinner accompaniment.  Scored on the second night, I would give it a B+.  Give this wine LOTS of air time to come around.  Was $19.99 at Arrowine in Arlington.

2009 Monchiero LANGHE NEBBIOLO (Piemonte, Italy)

Tasted blind, I'm not sure I'd be able to place this as a Nebbiolo.  But knowing what it is, I can see some varietal character, but in a youthful, simple style.

Light, bright ruby red color.  Straightforward fruity aromas of cherry, plum, and a little strawberry.  A bit more depth and grip than the light color and bouncy, fruity nose would lead you to expect.  Good acids and noticeable tannin, but little complexity.  Clingy flavors of dark cherry and some roasted herbal resin.  Fun to drink.  But tastes like it's from very young vines.  B. Was $16 and change at Arrowine in Arlington. (I've got to get out more . . .  seems like Arrowine is the only place I ever have time to do any wine shopping.)  Imported by Scoperta Importing Co., Cleveland Heights, OH.

2009 Dragonia "Old Vine" GARNACHA (Carinena, Spain)

A good value, pure-tasting, easy-drinking wine for weekday dinners.  Not especially concentrated but the flavors are very nice.

Absolutely pure-looking ruby.  And I mean ruby, as in, take a ruby, and imagine it's a liquid.  Nose is likely freshly put-up ripe raspberry jam, with a very subtle hint of clean cracked stones.  Ripe and mouthfilling, with ripe raspberry fruit, good acids, full body, and a bit of soft tannin for structure.  Not particularly concentrated, but fun to guzzle with dinner.  B.  Drink over the next year.  Was $9.99 at Arrowine in Arlington.  Imported by A W Direct, Inc, of Novato, CA.

2010 Domaine les Ondines COTES DU RHONE "La Buissonnade" (Southern France)

A good, cheap entry level Cotes du Rhone.  At its price point, it delivers.

Luminescent dark ruby/violet.  Medium intensity nose of ripe, spicy, black raspberries, tart acidity (yes, you can smell the acidity), and high-toned stoniness.  Dark spicy blackberry/black cherry fruit with loads of rocky minerals and a teensy bit of iodiney burnt herbs.  Not terribly concentrated, and the finish thins out quicker than I'd like, but the flavors and balance make this a nice, refreshing weekday dinner accompaniment.  B.  Imported by Wine Traditions of Falls Church, VA, this wine was $9.99 at Arrowine in Arlington.

(Sorry, 2007 depicted).

2008 Podere Canneta SAN GIMIGNANO ROSSO "Zenit" (Tuscany, Italy)

From the Tuscan town known for, in my view, one of the most overrated white wines in the world, this Sangiovese-based red is basically akin to a good Chianti, which is, unsurprisingly, the larger region within which this town is located.  Are there better Chiantis at this pricepoint?  Maybe a few.  But this is very tasty and also is a conversation piece because of its unusual appellation.

Dark ruby garnet.  Very typically Chianti-like nose of dry gravelly/schisty earthiness infusing winey cherries.  Bone dry in the mouth, with good acids and a cheek-coating dose of soft tannins.  Flavors of dry leather and earthy chokecherries.  Fairly-full bodied, with lots of schisty minerals and a slight bit of heat in the fairly long finish.  B.  Was $14.99 at The Italian Store (Lee Hwy & Spout Run, in Arlington).  Imported by Michael R. Downey Selections, Woodbridge, VA.